James Bond has been the epitome of manliness since his first film was released. He’s an international super spy, has all the coolest gadgets, he can take you out with his fists as well as his wit and he gets women from all around the world. Henchmen take notice when Bond is around, and no other game has exemplified this better than Blood Stone from Project Gotham developer Bizarre Creations. Cars are pretty manly too, so it seemed like a perfect fit for the developer, but it turns out it’s for all the wrong reasons.
Since it’s been so long since a Bond film has been released and Activision wants to get the most out of its license, Blood Stone is treated as a film in video game form. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench return as Bond and M, but especially in the case of Craig, it sounds like it was recorded through Bond’s smart phone with dry delivery and half hearted acting. SInger Joss Stone is pulling double duty as the performer of the Bond song at the start of the game and the voice and likeness of the game’s love interest, where she does a pretty good job compared to the “real” actors. Like an actual movie, the game has a plot that spans the globe while 007 tries to stop an international threat, complete with gun fights, espionage and explosive car chases. So far, it has everything that you would expect from Bond, but it’s taken and distorted in a way that results in laughable game play.
So Blood Stone has taught me one thing about the spy that I’ve never known… his manliness makes him the most intimidating man in the world. Dozens of foot soldiers can do nothing but quake in fear as Bond nears them, which makes it very hard to shoot straight. It makes it very easy, (not to mention more efficient,) to just punch everyone to death. Why wouldn’t you be afraid of him though? His awesome Bond-ness heals gunshot wounds in a matter of seconds as long as he doesn’t get shot again and punching enemies makes him invulnerable. Even harder difficulties don’t make it much more difficult, since the foes can’t seem to got their shots to hit, even when Bond is right in front of them. A decent cover system is used if you actually want to avoid being shot, but if you really want to show off, Bond has a focus shot ability that he gains for every melee kill. At the press of a button, the cursor automatically points at an enemy’s head no matter the distance. That’s right, instant head shot. Is there anything he can’t do?
Being a spy isn’t all about shooting and fisticuffs, so the game play does give you a break by throwing in stealth and driving stages throughout the main story. Stealth works really well, but the enemies do what they can to make it as easy as possible. As if they’re cowering in fear, there are many times throught the game where enemies are positioned facing corners or staring at a wall. No movement, no patrolling, no nothing. It’s not hard at all to sneak up on someone who’s scraping gum off the wall instead of searching the area. Each stage has a vehicle section that are pretty well done. The cars have tight controls with impressive locals that are a real treat to look at, but these areas are a very small part of the game. It’s too bad the graphics and game play take such a drop in quality outside of driving. Oh, and there are also secret files and security cameras that can be hacked by Bond’s super cell phone. It can do just about everything except make the game good.
Online has also been thrown in, which is exclusively team based. It has a wide variety of modes such as team death match, team elimination and mission mode where MI6 takes on terrorists to defend objectives… wait, those are all the modes? With only three modes of play, (two of which are nearly identical,) it’s easy to get tired of it fast. Each action such as a head shot or melee kill give different amounts of experience points which unlock new weapons and character skins, but I honestly can’t see anyone playing for long.
So in short, the epicness of Bond feels like it’s shown off in all the wrong ways. Outside of the well done driving sections, the main game is riddled with terrible AI, a health system that’s way too linient and a gunplay that holds your hand through the game. There’s little to fear when enemy’s can’t seem to hit you, and something has to be wrong when melee is more effective than shooting in a shooter. Online isn’t much better, with a tacked on, bare bones mode that is sure to get old quick. All you have left is an average story with a few good stages scattered through the five hour experience. Give it a rental if you’re a Bond fan because there is fun to be had, but in the case of Blood Stone, 007 might want to keep his escapades on the big screen.